Game



Dec. 4, 1934. M. D. MAYNARD 1,983,044

GAME

Filed May 6, 1932 INVENTOR I Ale/1 542 DMayna/a "a pate.

1455 below a perpendicular to the center line at the Patented Dec. 4,1934 F CE 1 1,983,044 Melvin D.Maynard,Brooklyn,Y. Application May 6,1932, Serial No. 609,609

5 Claims. (01.2735125) final winnen,

With the above and other'objects in view, 'fthe' invention furtherincludes novel-features and details of construction, to be, hereinafter,more fully described, the preferred form of whichis illustrated in theaccompanying drawing.

' In the drawing;

Fig. lis a perspective view ofan apparatus con structed accordancewiththe presentinvention.

Fig.2 is a seotional view taken on line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

FigfB is a'sectional view taken min s-e of Fig. 4*is a partialperspective view illustrating the'f ront of thje game apparatus andshowing the manner in which a'golf mat may be employed in 26 playingthegame, as an alternative form tothe ball launching means shown in Fig. 1,H M Referring in detail to the drawing and particularly to Figs. 1 to 3,inclusive, the apparatus em:

bodying .the present. invention includes an inclined 30 runway (a'),which'defines a playing surface over which the balls employed in thegame are adapted to travel. On the respective sides of the runway arevertical walls (1)), which confine the balls in their movement upon theinclined playing sur- 'i face. The inclined runway (a), is constructedso as to contain, on its surface, a plurality of crests and troughs,indicated respectively at (c) and (d) in the drawing. The surfaces ofthe dips and elevations created by the crests and troughs are 40!preferably uniformly curved to present a smooth rounded face to theballs passing over the same. The crests and troughs are constructed toangularly traverse the playing surface of the runway, the variation ofinclination to the center line of the runway placing the high points ofthe crests right-hand side of the confining surface (b) and above theleft hand confining surface. To clearly emphasize this point in theconstruction, I have kt shown a center line in the drawing with aperpendicular thereto to illustrate the angular deviaof the apparatus asclearlysho'wn at (e) in Fig.

3. From the foregoing it will be apparent that the crests andtroughs areangularly disposed across the playing surface, both with referenceto thelongitudinal center line'and withrespectto the plane of the ruriway,-Adjacent each of the troughs (d), at, the lowest elevation of'the sameand located in the right-hand confining wall (1)) in this instance; areopenings (1). A channel (9) is situated on the exterior of the runwayand provides a means forreturning the balls, passing through theopenings in the side wal1,to the player. Balls employed in the game areshown inthe drawing at (h), A launching board (1) havinga cone, cavedsurface (:i), which extends to a higher elevation than theinclinedrunway (a), is positioned in front'of the sameas shown in Fig. 1of the drawing; I

' To the rear of the inclined runway, along which the balls areprojected from the launching board (i), by the players, is a hazard.(lc), which coniprises an inclined surface lower than the crest ofthehighest pointof .elevation in the runway. The hazard. (k)communicates with a ball retaining" channel (1) through an opening (m)in the side of the confining surface'jib). located at the rearof theleft-hand confining wall. A backboard is ihdicatedjat (n) to assure thatany balls passing be ondjth incl ned c gw. an f he t f andj truehsi.there ngiwil heret ed bribe.

hazard (10);"

Each of the openings (1') in the right-hand confining surface (1)) aredesignated by markers or otherwise to indicate a numerical countutilized in scoring the game. In the instant case, 'I employ markers asshown in the drawing, Fig. l, 903

having counts of 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25, respectively,

the openings being assigned markers of propor tional valuation inaccordance with its proximity to the hazard (is). It will be understoodthat the players locate the balls one at a time at a chosen elevationupon the surface of the launching board (2') in an effort to attain thedegree of movement of the ball upon the inclined surface (a), that willbring the same to rest in a particular or desired trough (d). length ofmovement of the ball is accomplished by the player, theball will come torest in one of the troughs from which position it will pass down theinclined surface of the trough through the opening (1) to the channel(9) and be returned to the launching board. tion of one of the crestsurfaces across the run- While it is apparent that many variations maybe made in the manner of playing. or scoring, the game, I preferto'employ the following way.

Any numberof players may partake in the game, 110

If the desired each player being allotted a predetermined number ofballs, which, for example, may be ten balls apiece. The first playerthen takes his position at the launching board and playing 5 one ball ata time, endeavours to make as high a count as possible. In scoring thegame, a player continues projecting the balls up the runway and countingeach scoring play as it is designated by the markers until either theball in use passes through a scoring opening (f) a second time before asuccessive run of the entire five openings is made, or the ball isprojected so hard as to finish its course in the hazard (it), from whichit assumes a position in the channel (Z) and is not returned to theplayer. In either event, the next player continues for his turn at thelaunching board in a similar manner. In scoring the game, it is furtherprovided that each time a player projects the ball and the same returnsdown the runway (a) without having come to rest in one of the troughs, apoint deduction is made from the players score. Also, for each time aplayer scores a consecutive run of the entire five openings, withoutrepetition, the individual score of each opening of the run is added andthe sum multiplied by ten for a score of 750. The play continues untilthe balls of the participants. have all come to rest in the channel (Z),the player having the. highest score winning the game.

Referring particularly to Fig. 4,. a modification in the method ofplaying the game is shown in which I employ a golf mat (o) from whichgolf balls may be putted in the usual way over the inclined surface (a),thescoring in this instance, if desired, being the same as for that,hereinbefore, described. The length of the inclined runway may obviouslybe vari'edso as to imposev a harder test of the accuracy of the golferin playing the game from the putting mat (0).

The invention is susceptible of various changes in its form, proportionand minor details of con struction and the. right is, herein, reservedto make such changes as, properly fall within the scope of the appendedclaims.

I claim as my invention:

L. Av game apparatus. comprising a ball confining i'ncli'ned' runway, a.plurality of crests and troughs situated. across the runway in angularcor relation with respect to the longitudinal center line thereof, saidcrests and troughs also sloping toward one side of the runway, and aplurality of openings designating different counts located in theconfining surface of the runway adjacent each of the troughs.

2. A game apparatus comprising a ball confining inclined runway, aplurality of crests and troughs situated across the runway angularlydisposed w-ith respect to the longitudinal center line thereoflsaidcrests and troughs al'so sloping toward one side of the confiningsurface in which openings are located in juxtaposition to the lowerlevel of each of the troughs.

3. A game apparatus comprising a ball confining inclined runway, aplurality of crests and troughs situated across the runway in angularrelation with respect to the longitudinal center line thereof and alongthe surface of highest elevation, said crests and troughs also slopingtoward one of the side confining surfaces in which openings are locatedinjuxtaposition to the lower level of each. of the troughs.

'4. A game apparatus comprising. a ball con-fining inclined runway, atpluarlity of crests andtroughs situated across the runway angularlydisposed with respect to the longitudinal center line thereof and alongthe surface of highest elevation, said crests andv troughs sloping inthe direction of one of the side confiningsurfaces, a plurality ofopenings designating. different counts located in. the side confiningsurface adjacent the lower level of each of the troughs, and a balllaunching board having a concave surface extending to a higherelevation. than the runway.

5. A game apparatus comprising. a ball. confining inclined. runway, aplurality of crests and troughs situated. across the runway in. angularrelation with respect to the longitudinal center line thereof and alongthe surface of highest eleration, said crests and troughs. also. slopingin the direction of one of the side confining sur' faces, a plurality ofopenings designating. different counts located in the. side confining.surface. adjacent the lower level. of each of. the troughs, a'ba-ll.launching. board having a concave surface. extending to a higherelevation. than. the runway, and. means for returning. the balls passingthrough the openings adjacent the troughs to. the launching board.

MELVIN D. MAYNARD.

